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“Africa does not need charity, Africa needs fair terms” – Director-General, WHO states
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called for a fairer global health system that allows African countries to take full ownership of their health priorities.
Dr. Ghebreyesus said sudden aid cuts were causing major setbacks in African health systems, with health workers losing their jobs, clinics shutting down, and life-saving medicines locked away in warehouses.
He warned that health aid was projected to fall by up to 40% this year making it the most severe disruption since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was speaking at the opening of the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in Accra.
The summit, hosted in Accra, brought together African Heads of State, health ministers, and global health leaders to discuss urgent reforms in the way health systems are governed and financed on the continent. It aims to push for reforms in global health governance and highlight national ownership, local investment, and stronger leadership in public health.
Key outcomes of the summit include the endorsement of The Accra Initiative, the launch of the SUSTAIN Initiative to promote domestic health financing, and the formation of a Presidential High-Level Panel. The Accra Compact, a document outlining Africa’s unified vision for health sovereignty, was also adopted.
The Director General stressed that the crisis presents an opportunity for Africa to move away from dependency on foreign aid and embrace a new era of self-reliance and sovereignty.
He praised countries like Ghana for stepping up domestic investment in health, especially after Parliament passed reforms to increase funding for the National Health Insurance Scheme.
This action he said demonstrated what health sovereignty looked like.
He emphasized that Africa did not lack capability, but rather needed fair terms and a stronger voice in shaping global health policies.
“Africa does not need charity. Africa needs fair terms” he reiterated.
Dr. Ghebreyesus revealed that up to 13% of health budgets in low- and middle-income countries go unspent due to weak public financial systems.
He mentioned that WHO was working with governments to improve this through better budget planning, health taxes, and digital financial systems.
He highlighted that in 2023, Africa received $74 billion in aid but lost $90 billion to illicit financial flows and $55 billion to corporate tax exemptions, an imbalance he described as unacceptable.
The WHO boss urged global leaders to stop bypassing national systems and instead support country-owned, sustainable health programs.
He ended by saying that health was not a cost to be cut, but an investment in people and prosperity.
Also addressing the summit, the former UK Prime Minister and current WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing, Gordon Brown, warned that recent cuts in global aid were threatening decades of progress in Africa’s health sector.
He said vital initiatives like Ghana’s Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds were at risk.
Mr. Brown said the issue was not just about money but a deeper failure in global solidarity.
He argued that African countries must no longer be treated as passive recipients of help but should lead in shaping their own health systems.
He described the summit as more than a policy meeting. “it was a moral call to action and a turning point for the continent” he mentioned.
He described health as a “currency of dignity” and called for long-term solutions that place African countries in full control of their health destinies.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dear Obaa Yaa,
During Eid-ul- Adha celebration, I decided to spend the weekend at my boyfriend’s place since we were planning towards our marriage.
To my surprise, what keeps me wide awake, restless and frustrated every single time is that he snores loudly like a generator running on full power, and I genuinely cannot get any rest
At a point, I thought it was just a normal thing, but I have realised it is something he does with ease and doesn’t see anything wrong with it.
When he steps out in the morning, I try to get enough sleep because I may not sleep in the evening.
The most annoying thing is that, he always wants to cuddle me. These two things are a no for me and a red flag.
We are about to get married, what should I do?
Enam, Keta.
Dear Enam,
The snoring and constant cuddling are frustrating, but you don’t have to choose between sleep and closeness.
Start with the snoring: check if it’s worse when he sleeps on his back, cut out alcohol before bed, try nasal strips or a humidifier, and see a doctor if he pauses while breathing.
For quick relief, foam earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones help a lot.
Separate blankets, a bigger bed, or sleeping apart on some nights often makes couples rest well and feel closer overall.
Bring this up before the wedding .Tell him you want to wake up next to him for years to come, but sleep deprivation makes you both miserable.
Test earplugs and side-sleeping this weekend, and if it’s still unbearable, bring in a doctor. Good sleep matters more for your marriage than staying glued together all night.
The Danish Children Fund (DCF), a Denmark-based NGO supporting children’s education, has encouraged students to prioritise their education and desist from misuse and abuse of drugs to enhance their holistic growth and development.
The call was made during a day’s sensitisation seminar on drug abused for students in Tamale to help them make informed life choices and stay away from abusing drug substances.
The event, held under an initiative dubbed: ‘Youths in Focus,’ brought together students, teachers and officials from the Ghana Police Service, Narcotics Control Commission and Ghana Education Service to educate young people on the dangers associated with drugs abused and their addiction trends.
Mr Benjamin Yin, Project Manager of DCF and Headmaster of Kalpohin SDA Basic School, speaking during the event, said the intervention was necessitated by increasing concerns over drugs abused among the youth in Tamale.
He said the organisation, which primarily focused on supporting needy children to remain in school, recognised the need to complement educational support with interventions that empowered young people to make responsible decisions.
Mr Yin highlighted some achievements of the DCF in the education sector in Tamale and said the organisation currently sponsored 55 vulnerable children to remain in school, most of whom were orphans.
He explained that out of the number, 23 beneficiaries were at Kalpohin SDA School, 18 at Tamale SDA School and 15 at Jakarayili School.
He said the support package included learning materials, food and other essential items to prevent school dropouts.
Beyond educational sponsorship, he said the organisation had invested in educational infrastructure to improve learning environments in beneficiary schools.
The Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Richard Akumi, Deputy Northern Regional Crime Officer, who addressed the students during the event, described the abuse of drugs among young people as a major challenge requiring collective action.
He said the Ghana Police Service had intensified efforts to tackle the abuse of drug in the region through law enforcement operations and community sensitisation programmes.
ASP Mr Akumi noted that the Northern Regional Police Command’s Special Operations Team had been carrying out operations across Tamale to dismantle drug hotspots and arrest suspects involved in drug-related activities. –GNA
